CULPEPER – Warren County High School senior Quay Caison was expecting to do well in the shot put at Monday’s Conference 28 track and field meet, but he even was surprised at how well he did in another event.

Caison placed second in both the shot put (45-07.75) and the discus (117-06) at the meet.

“Discus, I’ve been doing actually very well in. Since last year I’ve progressed further in it (than shot put),” Caison said. “Today I took second (in the discus). I thought it was cool, but I know I could have thrown a lot further than I did. I got 117 but I know I could have thrown 135.

“I’m surprised a lot how I’m doing in the discus, because I haven’t really been strong in that, but more in shot put but now it’s stating to switch and it seems like discus is getting stronger and shot put needs to get stronger as well.”

Caison was just one of the top local athletes at the meet for Warren County and Skyline. Warren County’s boys placed seventh in the meet with 21 points, while Skyline was eighth with 18. Warren County and Skyline tied for fourth in the girls meet with 46 points each.

Olivia McGill

Brentsville won both the boys and girls meets. The Tigers had 142 points in the boys meet, and 194 in the girls meet.

Skyline’s Olivia McGill won the 100-meter dash (12.52) and placed second in the 200-meter dash (26.15).

“That was very exciting,” McGill said of winning the 100. “I was very confident going into this race. … It was a good race. I felt them behind me.”

McGill said it helped her that she finished sixth with a 12.2 time in the last 100-meter dash she ran, two weeks ago at a meet in Richmond.

“It was lots of competition – really fast girls, really fast runners,” McGill said. “It was just really good exposure for me. It helps me see what’s out there, how I am against those kinds of runners.”

Warren County’s Claire Morrow placed second in the 800-meter run (2:34.02). She was seeded seventh entering the race. She improved on her season best time by over five seconds.

“I was a little apprehensive at the beginning, because I was seeded so far down,” Morrow said. “But once we started I just settled into my pace, thought about what I was doing and didn’t really worry about anyone else. It ended up really well.”

Skyline freshman Carrie Hotek was right behind Morrow in third place in the 800 (2:35.27). Hotek has come a long way in a short time. She just started running the 800 a few weeks ago.

“She’s only been training for it for the last two weeks,” Skyline coach Steve Burton said. “We needed a place for her. The 400 wasn’t going for her, but she’s such a strong kid. So we said let’s try her in the 800, and she showed that she’s got it. She’s only going to improve.”

Warren County’s Taryn Post had a strong day as well. The junior placed second in the 300-meter hurdles (51.08), and fourth in the 100-meter hurdles (18.21).

“I was placed third coming in, so coming in second was good for me,” Post said. “I feel great about it. It’s really a big accomplishment.”

Post has some strong competition in the two events from one of her own teammates – Warren County sophomore Victoria Partin, who placed fifth in the 100 hurdles (18.51) and seventh in the 300 hurdles (53.35).

“I love that Victoria Partin is right there nipping at (Post’s) heels,” Warren County coach Joseph Owens said. “They get along really well. It’s just a great competition to have on one team, because they’re just going to continue to improve and push each other.”

Skyline also finished second (52.20) in the girls 4×100 relay, while Warren County was third (54.08).

Skyline freshman Shyla Schmitz finished tied for third in the high jump (4-08).

“Clearing four (feet) eight (inches) — it’s a big mental hurdle for her,” Burton said. “So now she has confidence, and she’s right there for that four (feet) nine (inches) and state qualifying (mark).”

Warren County’s Cor’shauna Cunningham said she didn’t feel like she had her best day, but she still placed third in the shot put (31-09.50) and fifth in the discus (89-08). She said she’s looking forward to doing better at next week’s Region 3A East meet at Lakeland High School.

“I’m excited to see how I’m going to do, to see if I can actually get to states” Cunningham said. “… I know I have the potential to get there.”

Skyline freshman Colette Salyers placed third in the discus (96-00). She said she was nervous going into Monday’s meet, and she knew that she had to control her nerves to perform.

“I was just like, ‘Don’t let this girl win,'” Salyers said. “‘If you want to win then you got to calm down, because if you don’t calm down then you’re done.'”

Skyline’s Tucker Fortney placed fourth in the boys shot put (41-04.75) and sixth in the discus (105-00). Davis Ricks placed fourth for Skyine in the 3,200-meter run (10:31.49). Skyline placed third in the 4×800 meter relay (8:42.57).

The top six individuals in each event advance to next week’s regional track meet, along with anyone who had already met the regional standards for qualification during the season.

One of those was Skyline’s Landon Holben. The junior did not participate in Monday’s meet due to an injury he suffered last week. Holben had already qualified for the 100, 200 and 400 for regionals, and he’s already qualified for the state meet in the 400.